Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The one who practices for their own benefit and for that of others

"Monks, these four types of individuals are to be found existing in the world. Which four? The one who practices for his own benefit but not for that of others. The one who practices for the benefit of others but not for his own. The one who practices neither for his own benefit nor for that of others. The one who practices for his own benefit and for that of others."

-Buddha, from the Sikkha Sutta

Of the four types of people the Buddha describes here, the one who practices for his own benefit and for that of others is considered the most skillful.

Not only do these individuals abstain from breaking the precepts but they also encourage others other to undertake the same practice.

(I thought twice about using this photo because I'm not implying that I'm the most skillful when it comes to following the precepts, but I mostly just thought it was really cute!)